How Children Find Refuge

We live in a crazy, mixed up world. Providing refuge for our children in a tumultuous culture may be more simple than you think.

As parents, my wife and I talk a lot about how to protect our children spiritually and intellectually in an increasingly post-Christian culture. Truthfully, as the parents of three daughters we have entertained a wide range of options. Everything from complete isolation with the Bedouins in the deserts of middle-east to home-school with the reindeer people of Mongolia. Kidding, in a way. All of those thoughts yielded isolation strategies that are not the best for our kids. Those thoughts were based in an unhealthy fear of the culture and not enough fear in God. Listen to the Scripture:

In the fear of the Lord one has strong confidence, and his children will have refuge. -Proverbs 14:26

It turns out providing refuge for our children is more about our personal fear of the Lord than what school they attend or where they grow up. Think about this. My biblical fear of the Lord causes me to follow Christ out of a deep sense of love and reverence for the King. It causes me to align my life with the Scripture and do life God’s way. When children have parents who love God and live out an authentic biblical faith in front of them, they will have refuge from the chaos of the culture.

As you think about how to protect your kids remember the Scripture teaches we are to be in the world but not of the world. Our children need to learn to walk with Christ in the midst of the culture. They need the refuge of parents who fear God and love Him deeply. Meditate on Proverbs 14:26. The fear of the Lord is not just the beginning of wisdom, it is also a stable refuge for our children. If you want to protect your children the best thing you have to offer is your personal fear of the Lord.

My personal opinion (not that you asked for it) is that homeschooling provides the best of both worlds. My children are not isolated from the world, but Barry and I introduce them to touchy subjects at AGE APPROPRIATE TIMES and then we get to discuss what the Bible says about that subject. My issue with public school (again this is a personal opinion, not applicable to all) is that my kids were learning about issues that were NOT age appropriate. When they encountered “stuff” they weren’t telling me and then they were wrestling with the issue on their own. It was too big of an issue for a 7, 8, 9 year old to wrestle with and they didn’t have the life experience to handle it on their own. Remember that their frontal lobes are definitely not formed and their decision-making skills are not the best. 🙂

Of course I realize that we can’t hold their hands forever. I have let go quite a bit with my junior higher so she can see consequences. She has had a taste of what that looks like. But if you don’t know what they are dealing with at school, it’s hard to combat what the world is “offering” them.